401st Joint Tank Battalion 'The Rolling Witches'
by BIO3729
Summary: It's late 1943, and the war has finally moved in onto the European mainland. Here we follow the tale of Fauna Pool, Liberian ace-to-be, as she combats the Neuroi alongside the Rolling Witches, all the way until Berlin!
1. Chapter 1: Pancake Monday

1943, in a base somewhere in Western Europe, a Liberian witch was in a hurry. Considering their usual personality, this is quite a surprise.

_Oh crap, not again! _

That was the single thought that raced through the witch's head, as she quickly took a shower, got her uniform on, and dashed towards the mess hall. _This is what happens when you play poker all night with the base personnel! _

Fauna Pool was her name, and she continued to curse herself silently. She was as tall as any average Liberian female, and had orange hair that reached to her neck, and eyes as blue as the sky. In fact, she had a stunning resemblance to United States Army Air force witch Charlotte E. Yeager, only separated by uniform, hair length, and bust size, where Fauna lost by half.

She pushed the entrance door to the mess hall aside, and quickly got into the back of the line. _Come on… Come on!... _But as it came to her turn, she sighed as luck was not with her this morning.

_No more Monday morning pancakes… _She thought sadly, as the mess officer poured her a bowl of milk and corn flakes. She accepted her fate, which was in the form of cereal, and brought it over to where the other witches were sitting. She slumped into the chair next to her friend, Sandy.

"Good morning, Fauna. Sleep well?" Sandy asked, sipping a cup of black coffee. Fauna just nodded in defeat, and put a spoonful of roasted flakes in her mouth. Sandrina V. Radley-Walters was a Faraway Land witch, with long, light-brown hair and looked like a Gallian. She was also slightly shorter than Fauna, which was obvious as they sat next to eachother. Sandy smiled, and pulled at something next to her, putting it in front of Fauna. "I knew you'd be late, so I got it for you."

Fauna looked up from her bowl, and saw a plate of three, neatly stacked pancakes, drizzled with maple syrup before her. Her eyes gleamed with joy, and she hugged Sandy. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed, proceeding to push the poor bowl of cereal aside and digging into the pancakes with a fork.

The witch sitting across from Fauna scoffed. "Mind your table manners, Pool," said Jennifer Ekins, a Britannian witch. She had long, blond hair, which she tied into a pony tail, and was surprisingly the owner of the biggest mountains in the battalion. "It's bad enough Sandrina saved it for you," she continued.

Fauna gulped down what was in her mouth, and scowled at Jennifer. "Hey, she's the reason why we get a shipment of maple syrup every month!" she growled, taking notice of the clean plate in front of Ekins. Jennifer's cheeks became red, and she puffed her cheeks.

"Calm down, Jen," said the girl next to her. She was Jessica Gorman, also a Britannian witch. She also had long, blond hair, but let it loose. She was always with Jennifer since they were small, and the bond between them was very clear. "Alright then…" Ekins muttered, and she downed her tea.

Satisfied, Fauna continued to eat her pancakes. "Well, if it isn't the animal!" exclaimed a witch that finally noticed Fauna. Her name was Karlyn Knispel, a Karlslander. She had short, messy, brown hair, and was the most laid back in the battalion. But she was also Karlsland's top ground ace, destroying more ground Neuroi than any other tank witch in the war.

"You shouldn't make fun of your subordinates, Kar," said Marelda Wittmann, the battalion commander. She had long, neatly brushed, light-brown hair. Also a Karlslander, she is another top ace from the country, just below Knispel.

"But technically, she is," noted a blond haired witch, "for 'fauna' is Latin for 'animal'." She was Odetta Carius, a legendary witch within tank witch groups for her actions in Orussia. Despite being an excellent Tiger witch, she decided to continue using the Pz 38 (t) strikers, eventually upgrading to a prototype called the Pz 38 (t) nA, for she was an even better scout.

"Ja, and her abilities say so too," said Odetta's grey haired friend, Johanna Boelter. Johanna was the tallest witch in the 401st, which differed from Odetta being the shortest. But due to the two being closely related in combat and practice, they are very close friends.

"Honestly, you shouldn't talk about people when they're eating…" muttered Emma Barkmann. Emma Barkmann had dark-brown hair, and was often the least talkative. "That's true!" exclaimed the youngest witch, Lara Latapie, a Gallian with short, blond hair.

Fauna swallowed the last bite of her pancake, and sighed. "Well, so much for a good breakfast…" she mumbled. She then takes a swig of milk, and gets up. "I'm gonna go practice some shooting with the others…" And she walked away.

"Wait!" shouted a girl, who caught up to Fauna right before she opened the exit. It was Kanako Nishizawa, but her countrymen called her Nishizawa Kanako. She had long, jet black hair, and came all the way from Fuso, bringing her Type 1 Chi-He strikers and her katana, which was currently at her waist.

"Oh, hey Kanako," Fauna said, "you wanna tag along?" Panting, Kanako answered, "Yes, Fauna-san!" She was tired from the sprint she had to make from the table to the door. "Alright, but it looks like you're not fit yet, so we're going to jog all the way there!" Fauna said, flashing a wide grin. "H-Haik!" was her answer, and they jogged through the base.

* * *

><p>By the time they had reached the garage, Kanako had fallen over onto her knees. "So tired…" she muttered, panting. Fauna chuckled, and put a bottle of water under her nose. "Don't stop now, we have some targets to shoot!" Kanako took the water gratefully, and said, "arigato… Fauna-san."<p>

Fauna went over to her striker stand, finding the M4A1(76)W model, which allowed her to carry the 76mm M1A1 Witch Gun, which was currently standing next to the striker, with several magazines ready for use. She hopped in, an aura of magic enveloping her, a pair of rabbit ears folding out of her head, and a white, bushy tail growing at the end of her spine. The sound of the Sherman's magic engine roared, and she shouted, "Pool, rolling out!" She then proceeds to move forward, picking her 76mm gun on the move.

Meanwhile, Kanako was still getting in her striker. She stuck her feet into the Type 1 Chi-He strikers, and the magic engine came to life, her familiar also appearing, the usual fox of many Fuso witches. "Nishizawa, moving!" She then picks up her Type 1, 47mm Witch Gun. They both made their way to the firing range, where several other witches had gathered.

"Hey look, Fauna and Kanako are here!" shouted the Romagnian girl, Alicia Carpaneto. She had long, light-brown hair, and was wearing the Carro Armato P40 heavy strikers; but were medium strikers by other country's standards. She also held its Ansaldo 75mm L/34 Witch Gun. "Good of you to join us," greeted the red haired Orussian, Elizaveta Lavrinenko, holding a 76,2mm F-34 Witch Gun and wearing the reliable T-34 strikers.

"Shhh, be quiet you two, Marjatta's taking the shot…" whispered Ellen Halonen, a very light hair colored Suomi witch. She had the StuH 42 strikers on, and was holding the explosive 105mm leFH 18 Witch Gun, capable of blowing Neuroi formations apart. A witch who was crouching next to her fires her gun, creating an ear deafening sound (that the witches have gotten used to by now), destroying an already wrecked half-track.

The witch stood up with a satisfied grin. "Top that, Pool!" challenged Marjatta Saurio, a blond Suomi witch, with StuG III strikers and the 75mm L/48 Witch Gun. Fauna pumped her fist, and yelled, "I sure as hell will!" The six witches spent the rest of the day topping each other's shots, as the Neuroi decided to give them the day off.

But will they be so lucky tomorrow?...

Next time, on Rolling Witches!

Fauna: Well, seems today is a good day to-

?: Screee!


	2. Chapter 2: Let's get Gallia!

Although they just had pancakes a few days ago, that was one of the few luxuries that any tank witch could get. It was often cold meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This didn't help with the fact the 401st was posted in a base in north-east Hispania, where the country's bad economy affected the witches stationed there.

It wasn't all fun and games for the 401st. The group itself was the only Joint Tank Battalion to be created, due to the low amount and quality of tank witches at any given time. Tank witches were also usually only under command of their respective countries, meaning that the lack of cooperation between countries to develop ground strikers was inevitable. This would lead one to think that the tank witches despised air infantry witches, but such is not the case, as the two often work together to get the job done.

The 401st was also a test group, always equipped with the newest tank strikers and weapons coming in often, to be tested and given feedback. But due to the strikers often just coming off the drawing board, this endangered the witch using it, which was being demonstrated in the current situation.

"Ah, scheisse! Someone, cover me!" yelled Karlyn Knispel. She had been the first to test a new variant of the fabled Tiger I strikers; a new 'Compact' version, which attempts to increase mobility, without sacrificing any of the aspects the original Tiger I striker had.

While it was an outstanding idea, the newly designed Maybach magic engine, which was downsized to fit into the unit, had exploded. Fortunately, Karlyn didn't even get any burns, but the strikers were now immobile, and she was now struggling to fire at the incoming Neuroi with her 88mm KwK 36 Compact Witch Gun.

"Sandy, Pool, cover Kar to let her eject!" Marelda ordered, firing an 88mm round from her usual Tiger I Heavy Strikers at a Neuroified Gallian B1 Heavy Tank that had managed to slip through. The Neuroi was destroyed the instant the round hit it, leaving another black wreck on Gallian soil.

The 401st had been tasked with taking out a medium sized Neuroi defensive position on the south-west border of Gallia. Taking out this position would be the beginning of logistics running through West Gallia, reinforcing the Free Gallian troops that were still rebelling. The usual farmlands of countryside Gallia were stained with Neuroi occupation. Farm buildings were transformed into pillboxes for heavy Neuroi laser emplacements and to produce reinforcements. Splotches of burnt craters marked the fields, possibly from laser fire that destroyed entire allied patrols.

These fields also gave clear view of the enemy, but it worked both ways. The witches were largely outnumbered, and it was an intense firefight, as ground was gained one minute, and lost the next.

"Yes ma'am!" shouted Sandy and Fauna, Fauna now wearing the Liberian tanker uniform, complete with helmet and goggles, as they moved up in front of Karlyn, shielding her from the Neuroi that had targeted her. "Get out of here, Kar!" yelled Fauna, as she fired a 76mm shot, and raised her shield in time for a sudden laser burst. "Danke!" Karlyn exclaimed, and she quickly ejected, sprinting back to Marelda's position.

"Fauna, you've got one coming for you from nine 'o clock!" Sandy shouted, firing steadily with her 17-pounder Witch Gun, slowly retreating with her Sherman Firefly strikers. "I see it!" Fauna takes aim, looking for a weak spot. "Firing!" And she takes a shot at what looked like a Gallian FT-17. The Neuroi exploded, and was immobilized. "We have to keep this up!" Fauna yelled, not losing focus, and continued to pressure the Neuroi defenders.

Meanwhile, Marelda was thinking of the current situation. "Odetta, status report!" she said into her radio. A crackle was heard, and a small voice answered, "this is Odetta, it seems I have a solution."

The small scout witch had been in her current position an hour before the battle started, which was a large bush that was right in front of the enemy line. She had her 50mm KwK 39 L/56 Witch Gun on her back, and was holding a double periscope, scanning for a change in enemy movements. "Well, what is it, Odetta?" Marelda asked impatiently. "The Neuroi strongpoint that has been producing reinforcements has begun to slow down. It's focused all available energy left into production, that it left itself defenseless."

_This is a good chance!... _"Odetta, send this report to Johanna's squad, and give them the coordinates." "Jawohl." Several seconds later, 3 cannon shots were heard throughout the field, coming from three very deadly witches.

Odetta watched as the rounds landed at what used to be a farmers barn, and gave the fire report. "Marjatta, you struck a bull's-eye. Aim two degrees higher, Ellen, and half a degrees to the left, Johanna." Three more shots were heard, and Odetta gave a positive report, and the shelling continued for a minute, before Odetta radioed in Marelda, "Mar, the target is gone." "Wunderbar! Keep me updated, Odetta." "Jawohl," and Odetta continued to watch.

"Squad officers, give me a report!" "This is Elizaveta, right flank is doing fine," answered the Orussian, two shots coming from Lara Latapie's 47mm SA 35 and 75mm ABS SA 35 Witch Guns heard in the distance. "Woohoo, I got two at once!" yelled the young witch, and Elizaveta closed the channel. "Jennifer here, center is holding up!" The large rumble of Jessica's Churchill VI Heavy Strikers made the radio shake until the channel was closed.

Suddenly, Karlyn had finally arrived next to Marelda. "Karlyn, get on and take watch, Kanako, go take her place!" "Haik!" and the Fuso reserve witch made her way to the left flank. Karlyn climbed onto Marelda's striker, and manned the periscope binoculars that were bolted on the platform behind the witch using the striker.

"Fauna, I think we're winning!" shouted Sandy, who was glistening with sweat, as she was constantly using Rapid Fire to hold back the Neuroi; an ability that allows her to fire her gun accurately and as fast as a semi-automatic gun. "Don't get so happy yet, we're still surrounded!" answered Fauna. _Guess now is a good time to use 'that'…_

Fauna closed her eyes, and focused her magic. "Mutation!" she yelled, and an aura of magic spread over her, her rabbit ear and tail becoming much furrier and messy. Fauna dropped her gun, and charged at the persistent Neuroi, her hands growing claws, her speed and strength growing tremendously.

"Eat this!" Fauna dug her claws into a Neuroi's armor, her ability allowing her to come in contact and not get infected. From this range, the Neuroi could not fire its laser, and was helpless as Fauna ripped it to pieces. Fauna jumped to the next Neuroi, using the striker's weight to slam into it, and redid the process. This created mass confusion to the Neuroi, as their numbers slowly grew fewer.

"I'm here!" Kanako exclaimed cheerfully, steadying her 47mm Witch Gun, "where's Fauna-san?" Sandy pointed at the trail of wrecked Neuroi in front of her, and said, "quick, catch her before it gets worse!" She then fires at the Neuroi that were coming to replace their fallen brothers, keeping the path clear for Kanako.

"Haik!" and Kanako races after Fauna, who continued to mutate as she destroyed more Neuroi. _Kill, kill, KILL! _She had already grown whiskers by now, and her hands looked almost like paws. "Fauna-san, calm down!" shouted Kanako, trying to get her attention. It worked, as Fauna turned her head to the source of the sound. _Kill?..._ Kanako was terrified by the look on Fauna's eyes, the same one she looks at every time she does this. "Kiyomeru!" Kanako exclaimed, covering Fauna with an aura of magic yet again, this time slowly turning her back to normal.

Fauna then proceeds to fall onto the ground, the M4A1(76)W smoothly ejecting her. "Fauna-san!" Kanako runs up to Fauna, who had her face planted onto the dirt. "Aill be fain, jest get dis don so we can go hom," she mumbled, her mouth filled with soil.

Kanako nodded, and Sandy had finally caught up. They both began cleaning up the remaining Neuroi on the left flank.

"The Neuroi are retreating, repeat, the Neuroi are retreating," Odetta announced, pushing her head out of the bush to get fresh air. The rest of the battalion cheered, several pops of Witch Guns filled the air.

Marelda smiled, and looked behind her. "Kar, status report?" Karlyn was busy scanning the field, and said, "the Neuroi are on the run to the north, and we have no casualties, one witch is unconscious, and of course, one pair of broken, prototype strikers." Marelda sighed. "Fauna?" "Yep, it's the animal," Karlyn concluded, getting her eyes away from the large binoculars. Marelda shook her head, and muttered "at least she and her striker are fine…"

The rest of the day involved the decontamination of the Neuroi miasma, and a nice, cold shower for the sweaty, dirt coated tank witches that freed the area. Fauna had woken up in time to enjoy the shower, and was afterwards given yet another lecture from Marelda.

"But…" "No buts! It may be your magic ability, but I cannot allow you to use it if you can't even control it!" exclaimed the ranting commander. They were in Marelda's office, a medium sized room with a large wooden table, several chairs, and some windows. On the desk was a small sheet of copper, with the name 'Lt. Col. Marelda Wittman' on it. It was the fanciest room in the base.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Marelda sighed, and said, "Alright, you're dismissed." Fauna got up, saluted, and went to the door. When she opened it, there were five witches in front of her. "'Scuse me," and she squeezed her way past them.

"Enter," Marelda ordered, and Odetta, Johanna, Karlyn, Jennifer and Elizaveta entered the room. They all saluted, which Marelda returned, and said, "take a seat." They all sat down, and the debriefing began.

The battalion was divided into five smaller 'companies', each with three witches, to ease command on the field. "Alright, I'm glad that no one was injured in the recent battle, but what about equipment?" Marelda asked.

"Only the prototype Tiger I Compact strikers suffered damage, which Porsche promised would be taken care of," Karlyn answered, her teeth clenched as she remembered the incident.

"That's good news, we'll be seeing perfect results come off the production line in no time. Well, now that that's settled, let's do the recap and call the operation a success," Marelda said, and the six witches reported the battle.

Meanwhile, Lara was busy groping Emma. The witches that were off duty are now taking a hot shower, and just acting as normal girls, and Lara could not get her hands off Emma.

"So soft!~" Lara exclaimed, Emma just keeping her poker face as she washed her hair. The other witches giggled, and Alicia said, "she'd go nuts if Jennifer were here!"

But Fauna was deep in her own thoughts, grieved with what happened earlier. _I still can't control it, huh?..._ She recalled the thought of wanting to kill Kanako, and shuttered. _I wasn't in control of my own head…_ she thought, looking down and holding her chest to make sure she was still her own master.

"Umm, Fauna-san, why are you touching-" Fauna yelped and jumped back in surprise, as she found Kanako standing next to her, blushing, and staring at her. "What? Oh, no reason!" Fauna said, faking a laugh. "Oh, alright…" Kanako said, her cheeks still red.

The two witches continued to take their showers in silence. Fauna looked over at Kanako, who was closing her eyes as she rubbed soap into her hair. _She really is helpful… and kind of cute too… _

Fauna shook her head, and turned off the faucet. _That's enough hot water for you. _She then dries herself off, puts her night clothes on (which was a large, white t-shirt, long enough to cover her panties) and headed toward her bunk.

"Hey Fauna, not gonna play tonight?" asked a passing base personnel, a regular card player. "Nah, gotta cool off," Fauna answered, "but put my bet on Kurt, I've got a feeling he'll be lucky." The bets were always a dessert at the mess hall. "Sure thing!" and he runs off.

_Now to sleep…_

* * *

><p>"Remind me to never place a bet on Kurt again," Fauna said to Sandy, her meal missing its chocolate pudding. Kurt, a Karlslander fellow, looked over from another table at Fauna, with a 'please-forgive-me' expression on his face.<p>

"That's why you shouldn't gamble," Sandy answered, giggling. She had finished her pudding already, always eating sweets first. Fauna puffed her cheeks and drank her orange juice.

"Fauna, Kanako and Alicia, the commander wants you to report to the firing range," said Emma Barkmann, who just entered the mess hall. Fauna sighed, and got up, making her way to the field with the Fusoan and Romagnian in tow.

"What do you think is the problem, Faun?" Alicia asked, using one of Fauna's many nicknames. Fauna shrugged, and said, "must be important to interrupt our lunch…"

As they arrived at the firing range, they found Marelda already there. "Commander." And they all salute. Marelda quickly returns it, and says, "we're going to work on your control, Fauna."

Next time, on Rolling Witches!

Fauna: DIE!

Alicia: Woah!

Kanako: Calm down, Fauna-san!

Marelda: This can't get any worse…


	3. Chapter 3: New Meat

The four witches were now on the field, equipment on, faces ready. Alicia and Fauna were standing meters apart, facing each other, with Marelda, who was using the smaller Mark IV tracked legs, and Kanako standing on the sidelines.

"Animazione!" Alicia yelled, pointing at a pile of rocks nearby. The rocks glowed with a magic aura, which disappeared seconds later. The rocks then began shaking, and quickly collided into the form of a wolf, the rumble of the stones moving inside it gave it a growling noise.

Fauna looked at Marelda, who just nodded her head. "Mutation!" Fauna once again transformed, dropping her cannon, much to Marelda's disappointment.

Fauna and the rock wolf charged at each other. They contacted with such force that the earth crumbled beneath them. Fauna tried to rip the beast apart, but as a rock tumbled away, it would only reattach itself moments later. The wolf wasn't even attacking, allowing itself to be broken apart and regenerate once again.

_Die!_ Fauna continued to change, until one couldn't tell who the real monster was. Marelda shook her head, and turned to Kanako. "Nishizawa." "Haik! Kiyomeru!"

Fauna panted as she became her normal self again, the wolf giving her a crumbly smile and a dry chuckle. Fauna snarled at it, and focused her energy again. _I'll get you for that! _"Mutation!"

_Ripping it apart won't work… But each time the attack doesn't work, I only mutate further…_

She tried clawing at it several more times, only to over-mutate, making Kanako constantly drain her magic. "Don't give up, Fauna-san!" Fauna gave her a thumbs up, and mutated again.

"Pool! Clear your mind when you mutate!" "Don't be impatient!" "Get a hold of yourself!" None of those sentences worked to help Fauna, as she helplessly mutated and failed to destroy the wolf. "Wittmann-san, I'm getting tired…" Marelda sighed, and shouted, "Practice is over!"

Fauna panted, and yelled, "one more time!" "No, Pool, no more-" "Mutation!" Fauna charged once again, this time with the cannon in hand. _If I can't shred it, I'll blow that thing up!_ She loaded a High Explosive shell, and fired at the wolf, making the beast shatter into pieces. But even so, it began to gather slowly.

_The source…_ She looked straight at Alicia, growling in her throat. Alicia yelped, and Marelda shouted, "POOL!"

_Clear your mind…_ Fauna grasped for control over her head, forcing all of the beast's thoughts out. She finally stopped mutating, and it started to reverse. Fauna began screaming in pain, until only she and her familiar were left. This process used a lot of magic, as a large magic circle appeared beneath Fauna.

_I did it…_ She then blacked out, a grin plastered over her face.

_Hah, you finally bested me, eh? But I won't let you next time, Fauny girl!..._

* * *

><p><em> Fauna… Fauna-san… Fauna-san!...<em> "Fauna-san!"

Fauna's eyes flicked open, but they winced as her vision was filled with light, and she suddenly gasped for air. The other witches, save for Odetta who was on patrol, were standing around her, as she lay on the infirmary bed. They all sighed in relief and Kanako hugged Fauna tightly, tears running down her cheeks.

"I thought I couldn't save you! Gomen, gomen, gomen!" Kanako exclaimed. Fauna wheezed, and patted her back. "It's ok, Kanako, I'm fine. But I may black out if you don't let go…" "Ah, gomendasai!" She let go, blushing as she continued to look at Fauna.

Fauna looked around, and asked, "why is everyone here?" Karlyn answered, "because Kanako needed company, and we need to bring you along to meet a new witch. No one gets left behind! Except, you know, Odetta."

Fauna smiled, and picked herself up slowly, grimacing as she felt the pain in her back, where the mutation is centered. Kanako moved up to help, but Fauna denied her, saying, "don't worry, I'm fine now. Just need to stretch a bit, that's all."

As she got off the bed, Fauna noticed that she was wearing a fresh pair of panties, and felt a slight burning sensation on her legs. "Did the Sherman strikers?..." Kanako blushed while nodding, and said, "h-haik. The safety feature activated…"

Fauna turned red as well, imagining what it looked like while she was unconscious. She would be laying on the grass, her striker ejecting her forcefully, giving her extra energy reserves, and would create a small, inner explosion which burned through undergarments. "Well uh, let's go!"

The battalion filed out, and they followed Marelda outside through the cramp, dimly lit corridors. They exited through a large wooden door, and waited at the front of the base, where several Anti-Neuroi guns had been placed, and a few Hispanian guards on duty. The ground around them was all dirt, not even an inch of concrete.

"Who is it?!" Lara asked, jumping up and down in excitement. After around 10 minutes of waiting, they all saw a small dust cloud coming towards their direction. "That must be the transport…" Emma muttered. Soon, the cloud of dust reached them, the sound of an engine roared and came to a halt. But it didn't take a genius or a magic eye to see that there wasn't a truck or a car in front of them. "Eh? How was there so much dirt flying around?" Marjatta wondered out loud.

Soon, the dust cleared, and before them stood, or rather bent over, a tall, brown haired witch, wearing tracked legs, holding a witch gun, carrying yet another pair of tracked legs on her back, alongside her backpack which looked full of equipment. She was panting, her familiar's ears drooping.

"So tired…" they heard her mutter, and she struggled to stand straight. She fixed her glasses, and looked at them all with a dizzy expression. "S-Sargento Primero, Félicia Verdeja Bardales, Segunda División Blindada…" she said, giving a shaky salute. The witches stared at her in disbelief, but a quick glare from Marelda made them all return the salute. Félicia sighed in relief, and put her equipment down. "I'm glad I finally arrived… They didn't give me any transportation, so I had to move all the way from home to this base!"

Lara couldn't take it anymore. Once she spotted her chance, she flew towards Félicia, jumped behind her, using the tracked legs as footing, and groped her from behind. "E-Eh?!" Félicia yelped, blushing as she struggled to get away from the Gallian devil. "They might even be bigger than Jennifer's!~" Lara exclaimed, squishing the soft pillows as she continued to violate Félicia. Jennifer fumed, and looked away. "Like I would bother with such trivial matters!"

Marelda sighed, and hit her face with her palm. "Lara, get off the inventor, right now!" Lara frowned childishly, and jumped off. Félicia began to cover herself incase another ambush occurred.

"Inventor, Wittmann-san?" Kanako asked. Félicia nodded, as she got her equipment in order. "S-Sí, I am a Hispanian tracked legs inventor." She pointed at her striker. "This is the Verdeja 2, and the over there is the Verdeja 1. Oh, and the weapon is a 45mm L/44 modelo 1939 Witch Gun."

"Not very good with names, are you?" Karlyn asked sarcastically. Félicia scratched her head, and answered, "well, my government hasn't accepted my designs yet, so I just gave them easy names…"

Elizaveta took a look at the strikers, and commented, "ah, they have a strong resemblance to the T-26 and Mark I strikers! So these are light tracked legs, right?" This time, Félicia didn't answer, the warm afternoon day suddenly becoming cold. "Orussia…" she muttered, clenching her fists and staring at Elizaveta angrily. Elizaveta backed off slowly, afraid of what would happen next.

"Uhm, well, we can introduce ourselves personally later! Let's get this equipment inside, all of you!" Marelda ordered, breaking the tension. Everyone scrambled, getting the tracked legs and cannon into the garage, and helping Félicia settle in. Fauna saw Elizaveta sitting down, her expression dark.

"Hey Liz, what's wrong?" The Orussian looked up at Fauna, and stared at her with a pained face. "I'm still not welcome here, comrade…" she answered, "no Orussian is ever welcome in Hispania…"

Next time, on Rolling Witches!

Félicia: This is all your fault!

Elizaveta: I just wanted to…


	4. Chapter 4: Hispanic Winter

All the witches were standing in a large circle, all wearing long coats and scarves to ward off the cold, Hispanic winter. Those not from Suomus, Faraway Land or Orussia were shivering. At the center of the group was Félicia, only wearing her army uniform, kneeling and connecting a cable inside of an unfamiliar striker.

"It's finally done!" Félicia stood up, closing the hatch. Frost was growing on her glasses, but she didn't even bother wiping it off. She activated her magic, and jumped into the new striker. The sound of the Renault magic engine purred as the unit came to life, and she picked up a cannon that looked much bigger than her usual weapon. The activation created a warm breeze, which the other witches thanked silently.

"Well, try it already!" Jennifer exclaimed, "we're still freezing!" Félicia nodded, and began moving forward. The witches broke their formation, and watched as Félicia began moving around the field at quite the speed. She fired a shot at a pile of snow, creating a plume of the white substance to fly into the air. Félicia came back, and stopped the unit, jumping out with a grin on her face.

"Verdeja 3 is finally complete!" The other witches clapped, making Félicia blush. The unit was her third completed unit, the parts donated from different countries, but the main show was the Renault engine, giving the unit high speed. Félicia had attempted to ask Ford and Maybach, but got no success. She managed to break a deal with the Gallian automobile company, which she would pay back by freeing the country with her unit.

The cannon was a 75mm Witch Gun, which was a greater gun than the 45mm one she used to use. "Well, looks like Hispania can finally create a decent unit now," Marelda said.

The only man in the group, who was standing next to Marelda, nodded, and said, "Si, and we I believe we can begin production by New Years! Good job with the wonderful striker, Sargento Primero Verdeja!" He wore a peaked cap, a trench coat over his army uniform, and had the air of a leader. Félicia hopped off her unit, and bowed to him. "Gracias, Primer Ministro Francisco Franco." He clasped his hands on her shoulders, and said, "no, thank you, my dear." He then walks off to a jeep waiting nearby and waves to the witches as he drives off.

Félicia was jittery with joy, but was soon replaced with shivering. "I didn't notice it was so cold!..." she said, and she sneezed. The other witches giggled, and Marelda gave her a coat. "Let's get you inside." And the witches returned to the base, except for Fauna and Elizaveta.

"I wonder how long it could actually last in this weather," Fauna said, circling the striker, which was beginning to gather snow. Elizaveta took her coat off, and covered the unit. "Wouldn't want it to break now, yes?" But Elizaveta forgot to loosen one of her sleeves, and the coat was pulled when she stepped back, and the strikers fell over, not making a sound due to the soft blanket of snow that cushioned it.

"Oh, nyet!" Elizaveta uncovered the unit, which was now covered with flakes, and sparks could be seen coming out of the hatch. Fauna quickly glanced back at the group, who were already out of sight, and turned back to Elizaveta. "Quick, put it up again!" Elizaveta nodded, and picked the units back up, putting them back on a standing position. They both activated their magic, and brought the unit back inside. _Nyet, nyet, nyet!_

"Be careful with that, débil Oruso!" hollered a Hispanic guard, snickering as they passed by with the striker. Elizaveta ignored him, and they continued to the garage. They put it down near Félicia's Verdeja 2, and Elizaveta panicked, not knowing what to do.

"Okay, okay, uh…" She opened the hatch, and found that several cables had become loose. "Alright, so if we connect it…" She began connecting the cables, not knowing if they were correct or not. "Liz, maybe we should just tell Félicia…" Fauna said, watching as the Orussian tried to fix the striker in vain. "Nyet! I have to do this myself!..."

Once she believed that everything must be correct, she closed the hatch, and prepared to test the striker. "Hey, get away from it!" Félicia was wearing the coat that Marelda gave her, and jumped between Elizaveta and the Verdeja 3. "I don't want any problems, especially from an Orussian!" Elizaveta backed away, saying, "but, the striker, it's…" "Just go, please!" Elizaveta couldn't speak; she just turned around, and ran away.

"Liz!" Fauna exclaimed, watching as the Orussian got farther away. She looked at Félicia, a scowl on her face. "What was that for?!" Félicia's mouth was shut, and she didn't answer. She then turned around, and looked at her striker again. "Hey, Félicia! Answer me!" Fauna yelled, grabbing her shoulder, and turning her to face Fauna. But when she saw her, she regretted doing so.

Félicia was in tears, fog stained her round glasses. She was sniffing, and was hugging herself to stay warm. "I-I'm sorry…" she muttered softly, "I d-didn't mean to…" Fauna was shocked, but she gave Félicia an empathetic hug. "Tell me your problem…"

Félicia looked at Fauna's eyes, and began to speak. "It's because of the civil war… The first time in a long time that humans fought humans… Brothers killed brothers… Blood was all over the streets… It was a nightmare…"

"My mother was a witch during the time. She couldn't fight, but she took care of the wounded men with what magic she had left. I sometimes came to watch her work, and I sometimes helped with whatever ability I had…"

"One day, there was a raid on the hospital she was practicing at. I was there, hiding underneath a bed, and she was at the door, trying to protect the patients still inside. She… She…" Félicia bit back her lip, but continued. "She was shot…"

"When the person came in, I was crying silently, shutting my mouth with my hands. I looked at the equipment he was using, and all of it had the Orussian star on it…"

"Even after the war, the Orussians gave us a huge debt, and we still can't pay for it, making our economy as it is now." She then stopped talking, and sobbed quietly. _But the economy isn't the reason… _Fauna continued to hug her, and said, "just let it out…" Félicia then couldn't take it, and cried out loud, filling the now empty garage with sadness.

* * *

><p>After what seemed like forever, the base siren wailed. "Enemy formation, coming from the east!" yelled a guard outside, as they prepared the Anti-Neuroi guns.<p>

Fauna and Félicia had fallen asleep, but Fauna was quickly awakened by the commotion. She shook Félicia. "Lisa, wake up!" The Hispanic witch woke up drowsily, but upon hearing the siren, she sprang into action, getting up, and getting into her striker. Fauna ran to her own striker, and jumped into it, picking up her 76mm gun quickly. "Félicia, let's give the others a break!" Félicia nodded, and jumped into her Verdeja 3, grabbing the 75mm howitzer.

"This is Pool, rolling out!" "Verdeja, engaging!" The two activated their magic engines, Félicia's making an odd noise as it charged up. _That doesn't sound good… _Félicia thought, but the strikers were able to move forward, so she put the thought aside, following Fauna.

The Neuroi that were attacking were a mixture of Gallian B1's and H35's. They weren't very effected by the weak Hispanic Anti-Neuroi guns, which were 50mm at best. "Pool, we're coming to help!" Marelda said, but Fauna answered, "no need, we'll take care of this!"

Fauna and Félicia stood side-by-side, and they fired their weapons at the horde of Neuroi_. _The winter wind blew the snow to the sky, creating a blizzard which lowered the sight of both the witches and aliens. "Don't worry, we'll hit them at blank range!" Fauna yelled, and they waited for each Neuroi to get closer before planting a round into its armor.

"I think they're falling back!" Félicia exclaimed, but suddenly, her movement was frozen. _No! I thought I already installed the heater!... _She couldn't see Fauna anywhere, barely even able to see a meter in front of her. "Fauna?! Faunaaa! Help!" She kept calling for her, but no one answered, and it seemed she couldn't eject either. _What's going on?!..._

That's when her entire body froze. She heard the high-pitched scream of a Neuroi right behind her, and a red glow was casted in front of her. _Is this it?..._ She shut her eyes, and said a prayer, asking god to forgive whatever wrong she may have done. She heard the shot, and waited for the light to come to her. But the beam never hit.

_Wait, that wasn't a laser shot… _She turned her head around as far as she could, and the Neuroi that was about to obliterate her was now lying on the snow, a figure standing next to it, a trail of smoke coming from the cannon she was holding.

"Elizaveta?!" The Orussian ran up to Félicia, and opened the hatch to her striker. "Quickly, tell me how to fix it!" Elizaveta exclaimed. "What? But it's fine!..." "Nyet! I broke it, and I'm so, so, sooo sorry! So please tell me how to fix it!" Félicia was angry, but also thankful for someone coming finding her. _She saved my life... Even though I was so evil towards her... _She began guiding Elizaveta on how the cables should be connected, and the process was done in minutes.

"It's done!" Félicia attempted to charge up the magic engine again, and it roared like it normally should, the heater beginning to work. _I have to thank her later..._ "Gracias! Now let's take care of the rest!" The two began shooting at the broken Neuroi formation, Elizaveta leading them by reporting positions. Soon, the snow cleared, and the sight of several tens of Neuroi wrecks littered the field.

They found Fauna nearby, sitting on a mound of snow, shivering as the cold struck her. "Damn aliens… How do you stay so warm…" The Hispanic and Orussian witches ran to her, and picked her up with their shoulders, bringing her back to base, where the other witches had gathered, their equipment on.

"Aw, we missed it!" exclaimed Karlyn, as Sandy and Kanako helped Fauna get inside. The other witches sighed in relief, and they began putting the equipment back where it belonged. After putting her T-34 tracked legs back, Elizaveta shyly went up to Félicia. _I have to apologize to her... _

"I'm sorry comrade, if I didn't break it, you wouldn't have been in trouble…" What happened next shocked everyone within a 5 meter radius. Félicia had planted her lips on Elizaveta's, her face red from the cold and the act. She slowly stopped, and continued to blush wildly. "I-I forgive you… And I'm also sorry for getting mad at you…"

Elizaveta's mouth opened and closed like a fish, and Karlyn blew out a wolf whistle. Félicia turned away, wondering why she just did that. _Idiota, idiota, idiota!... A normal thank you, why didn't I just give a normal... _Felicia looked at the taller witch. "I didn't mean to do that…" But Elizaveta cut her off by returning the favor, this time kissing her longer. Félicia couldn't turn away, nor did she want to. The other witches watched with curiosity, no one trying to stop the two. It was a miracle, and no one stops a miracle.

The days of hatred between Hispania and Orussia might be over soon…

Next time, on Rolling Witches!

Kanako: Fauna-san, did you see Elizaveta-san and F-

Fauna: Don't get your hopes up just yet.

* * *

><p>I don't usually ask, but please feel free to leave a review, be it negative or positive.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5: New Year, New Trouble

As the New Years came along, several changes were brought upon the witches. The foot hold on the Gallian border has been broadened, the unit was starting to get more recognition, the base they resided in was getting better conditions day by day, and the best part: new equipment.

In a hurry to increase the firepower that land witches produced, they were all sent shipments of modification kits to add coaxial machine guns to their strikers, each gun from their respective countries. Maintenance crews were busy installing the guns, which may prove useful in close ranges.

Along with the kits, a convoy of military trucks brought with them production-grade strikers. The most spectacular delivery was from Britannia and Neue Karlsland; 4 modified Churchill heavy tanks acted as tractors, working in pairs to bring the large A22 Churchill Mk. VII for Jessica Gorman and a new Jagdpanther for Johanna Boelter. Both had increased firepower, the Jagdpanther using the 88mm PaK 43/3 Mounted Witch Combat Gun and had a load more defensive capabilites. The same tanks were used to haul back the Mk. VI and the Ferdinand, which would be sent to reinforce other theaters of war.

The witches were excited with the new machines; Elizaveta was currently showing off the power of her new T-34-85 tracked legs, complete with an 85mm ZiS-S-53 Witch Combat Gun, and testing the 7.62mm DT machine gun. Félicia was nearby, frowning, and she attached a Karlslander MG 34 to her unit.

Jennifer was looking over her new Cromwell strikers, with more speed and defensive capabilities, which made her old Crusader strikers outdated. It also boasted a new Quick Fire 75mm Witch Combat Gun, which outclassed the QF 6-pounder WCG. The Suomi sharp shooter wasn't left behind, and Marjatta was revving the magic engines of her new StuG III Ausf. G tracked legs from Neue Karlsland, an MG 34 mounted above the mounted 75mm StuK 40 L/48 WCG.

But as everyone was getting to know their new equipment, one witch had not received even a single round of ammo. It was the Imperial Fuso Army witch, Nishizawa Kanako, wearing a scarf and was standing in front of the base, straining her eyes, searching for any sign of transport trucks.

"Ngh… It's still so cold at this time of year…" she mumbled, rubbing her hands together in a futile attempt to generate heat. This was her first Hispanic winter, and it was colder than the ones in Fuso. Her cheeks were the color of the country's iconic sakura flower from the cold, and small puffs of air could be seen leaving her lips.

She raised her left arm, checking a watch her father had given her when she left for Europe. The stainless steel watch ticked like it normally should, the glass so clean that she could see herself reflected off the surface. _They're so late…_ She continued to peer beyond her, hoping to see the telltale gas exhaust of a vehicle.

"Hey Kanako, why're you standing there?" Kanako turned to the sound, seeing as Fauna came over to the Fusojin. "Ah, Fauna-san!" she exclaimed, her cheeks becoming a deeper shade of pink, "I'm waiting for a delivery, but they haven't shown up yet…"

Fauna was soon standing next to her, wearing a Liberion Army trench coat and her helmet's goggles. "Is that it? Well, I better keep you company then…" They waited together in silence, when Kanako asked, "by the way, did you receive your new equipment yet, Fauna-san?" Fauna looked over at the Asian witch and nodded. "Yeah, got a pair of M4A3 Sherman units, same weapon, better handling, and it comes with that good 'ol Ma Deuce, the M2 Browning." She paused before asking, "Do you know anything about what you're getting?"

Kanako shook her head. "They just told me to wait." And wait they did. But after several minutes, the IFA witch eventually gave up. "Maybe we should…" "Wait," Fauna interrupted, hushing her, and pointing to the sky. "You hear that?" Kanako focused her listening, and heard a low humming sound from the sky. "I think that's a…"

Eventually, the entire base shook softly by the humming of a large aircraft coming their way. Kanako turned, and her face transformed into one of an excited child. "There it is! A Nakajima Ki-49! An Imperial Army plane!" The twin engine bomber was on a beeline approach to the Hispanic base, dropping altitude and lowering speed. The bay door opened, and the silhouette of a large object dropped. But it wasn't ordinance; it was a crate, which soon produced a parachute, allowing to glide down safely to the snowy ground below.

The guards waved their helmets as the plane passed overhead, showing off its Imperial Fuso roundel. Kanako and Fauna ran to the spot where the crate was landing, and watched as it hit the snow, the parachute covering it slowly. They approached it, noticing the box was larger than how it seemed. They pulled off the fabric, revealing the planked box with Fusoan letters on it.

"Property of the Imperial Fuso Army!" Kanako exclaimed, so excited her scarf fell off. Fauna picked it up, and put it around the girl's neck once more. "Calm down, let's get it opened first." Kanako nodded, and a guard came by, a large crowbar in hand. He began to peel the wood off the crate.

Finally, the side fell off, and revealed the mysterious contents. A striker unit, a witch gun, a machine gun and an envelope were found inside. Kanako opened the envelope, which read:

My dear Kanako,

Enclosed in this letter are the specifications of the new unit before you, the Type 3 Chi-Nu medium tracked legs. Also included are its Type 3 75mm Witch Combat Gun and a Type 97 machine gun which is ready for fitting. This new unit hopes to fulfill the promise of a modern Fuso tank, which is armed with one of the biggest guns we could find.

I hope you are doing well with the witches in the 401st, and I recall a Liberian witch in the unit who uses M4 Sherman strikers, which are almost identical to this unit. Train with her on how to use these, as they are completely different to the units you've used in the past. I pray for your safe return to Fuso.

Fight well and bring honor to the army!

Signed, Keoko

Kanako took a brief look at the papers behind it, which was filled with technical data on the unit and its equipment. She was filled with joy at the prospect of a new and more powerful unit. _Finally, worthy Fuso tracked legs! Arigato, Hyakutake Keoko-sensei!_

As the maintenance crew took the units out and began work on them right away. Fauna took a look at Kanako, who was dazzled by the strikers. "Kanako, do you think you can handle the new strikers?" Fauna asked. Kanako gave her a puzzled look. "What do you mean, Fauna-san?" "Well…" Fauna waved over at the tracked legs. "The unit is obviously slower than the old one, and you'll need to use the witch combat gun differently, seeing as how you're directly moving from the small 47mm to this high-velocity 75mm cannon." Kanako didn't know what to answer. "Well, I, uh…"

Suddenly, Marelda appeared, with Sandy trailing behind. "I see you've gotten your new unit, Nishizawa," Marelda said, looking at the dark-green medium strikers. "Is there any data on it?" Kanako hands the commander the letter, and she didn't understand a word of the language that was so foreign to her.

"Well… From these numbers, I can presume that these new tracked legs are very similar to the M4 Sherman units." The Fusojin nodded in agreement, and so did Fauna, with a curious thought running through her head, which showed on her face. "Interesting… That means that I can help her out easier." Marelda nodded, and said, "In this case, you two are going to be paired for the time being. A fourth platoon was recently made, D platoon, and I'll put Sandy in there along with Verdeja and Odetta. You two and Karlyn will be C platoon." She turned to Sandy, "will that be okay with you?"

Although there was a smile on her face, Sandy's face was dark. "It'll be a pleasure to work with my other colleagues." She then walks off without another word. "What's with her?" Fauna wondered out loud. "You don't?... Honestly, you are so clueless sometimes, Pool," Marelda answered, and she handed the letter back to Kanako. "I want the translated version on my desk soon," she ordered, and walked off. "Haik, Wittmann-san!"

They watched as the commander walked off, and Fauna turned to Kanako. "Looks like we're platoon mates now," she said. "Yes, it seems so, Fauna-san…" Kanako answered, still looking at the unit in progress. "Hey Kanako…" The Fuso witch looks at Fauna curiously. "Yes?" "Isn't there a suffix in your language for people you treat as friends?" Fauna asked, scratching the back of her head. "Eh? Oh, you mean 'chan'?" Kanako said. "Yes, I believe so. You wouldn't mind referring to me as that, would you? I don't like feeling like the superior." Kanako smiled, and replied, "haik, I'll do that, Fauna-chan." Fauna sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"It's finished!" shouted the lead engineer. "Wanna go do some test runs?" Kanko nodded eagerly. "Of course, Fauna-chan!"

* * *

><p>"This thing is so slow!"<p>

Although that was the only thing she said, Kanako was complaining about how the unit was so different in a heated session in her head. _The gun's so heavy, the recoil is huge, and the shells are so heavy to load…_ It also proved awkward to move, where she was used to the Type 1 Chi-He, or the popular Type 97 Chi-Ha and Type 89 I-Go strikers she used during training. They were relatively smooth to operate.

"Of course it is, these aren't light strikers!" Fauna replied, wearing her M4A3 unit, a mounted M2 Browning mounted on the right leg, the 76mm gun in her hands. "Medium strikers like these rely on a balance of speed, armor and firepower on the field!"

Kanako grimaced, remembering a report on how Fusoan and Romagnian tracked legs aren't labeled correctly. For instance, the Type 97 tracked legs are classified as medium strikers, but by international standard they are only light strikers. Alicia's P40 is also called a heavy striker in Romagna, but they are comparable to the Mark IV strikers from Karlsland.

_The Type 1 was only an over modified Type 97… _In other words: this was her first time using medium tracked legs. "Unlike light witches, we medium witches aren't very fast, but we pack a punch. We also aren't heavily armored like heavy witches, but we are much more maneuverable." Fauna demonstrated by gracefully weaving around some obstacles, and firing a shell at a broken half-track.

_ Alright…_ Kanako attempted the same course, sometimes scratching against the obstacles, and her shot went over the roof of the vehicle. Another shot finally hit it, but Kanako was frowning. _That's not it… _She began the course from the beginning, and when she failed again, she restarted. The old side of her began to show: the student that kept going until she was better than her teachers. She kept traversing the course, with its abundant supply of broken vehicles to serve one last time. Fauna watched, shouting tips and encouragement to the Asian witch.

Kanako forgot the cold, which began to reach its climax, which was just below 0 on the Celsius scale, a temperature which would have forced the island witch to stay indoors. But she completely ignored it, tightening the scarf to keep her lips from cracking and outputting enough energy to make the magic engine keep her warm. A couple of witches came to watch, Félicia handing Fauna a blanket and Elizaveta with a thermos of hot chocolate.

"I don't need any, Oruso," Félicia said when offered, rejecting the drink. Elizaveta shrugged, and downed the extra cup. She was only wearing a sweater, as if the weather was nothing for her. "How long has she been up to that?" Elizaveta asked. Fauna sipped her chocolate, and answered, "several hours I believe. Her magic supply is pretty huge. I think she might be about finished though. Her striker is looking tired."

Like she said, the Type 3 was melting all the snow it touched, and Kanako was finally about done. _I think I got it… _She ran the course with drunken grace, and landed a shot with pinpoint accuracy. _Yatta... _She then slumped over on the spot, the magic engine finally dying.

Fauna got up, quickly walked over to Kanako, pulled the ejection lever, and caught Kanako in her arms, who was fast asleep and shivering. She draped the blanket Félicia had given her, and carried the smaller witch into the base. _Good job…_

She laid the Fuso witch on her bunk, covering her with another blanket. Kanako's eyelids opened slightly, and Fauna tucked her in, shaking her head. "You did well, just take your rest." Kanako nodded slowly, closing her eyes. "Arigato… Fauna… chan…." She muttered under her breath.

* * *

><p>"Alright, let's review the plan!" The witches were all facing Marelda, who was standing in front of her huge Tiger I tracked legs. The snow had begun to stop falling, as the transition to spring was beginning. But it was still cold enough to show when a witch breathed.<p>

Two kilometers from where they stood, a town was visible. "To take Hendaye, we're going in with a couple of other units. The Division Azul will start with an airstrike, which we'll follow. We'll then be supported by the Hispanic Volunteer Armored Brigade as we penetrate the outer defenses." Both were Hispanic units, but the Armored Brigade was not composed of witches, but of conventional tanks, mainly T-26's and Panzer I's, but a single PzKpfw IV Ausf. F was also tagging along.

A crackle on a nearby radio was heard. "Hola, this is Teniente (Lieutenant in Hispanic) Mariana Cuadra Medina." Marelda picked up the receiver, and said, "this is Lieutenant Colonel Marelda Wittmann, how can I help you, Teniente?" "Ah, si, we're arriving earlier than planned."

On that note, several magic engines were heard humming overhead. The land witches looked up, seeing a small group of witches, wearing Flak-Wulf 190 strikers, an assortment of weapons in hand, one of them held an M1 Bazooka. They even seemed to have bombs attached to their units. They also wore blue panties, possibly a reference to their division's name, the Blue Division.

"Everyone, get your gear together!" All the witches scrambled to their strikers, a large buzzing through the earth as multiple magic engines roared to life. They were all set, and waited for the command. "We're going to destroy their defenses in one, swift strike. Johanna, you and your platoon will provide fire support from that ridge, the rest of you know your positions!" Marelda shouted. "Yes ma'am!" They all watched the Hispanic witches near their targets.

Soon, small silhouettes could be seen dropping from the witches' strikers. A trail of rocket smoke also slammed into the enemy down below. Screeching could be heard, and lasers soon filled the skies. Odetta, as always, was sitting below a shadowy tree near the town, radioed in, "The first bomb hit its target, and combat has begun."

"Panzer vorwarts!" Marelda roared, and the entire battalion surged forwards. The ground rumbled as they all rushed towards the town, not stopping at all for breaks. As they got closer, they split into four groups, Marelda following Johanna's group, and Jessica's moving down the main road.

Fauna and Kanako followed Karlyn to the east side of town, an open field as opposed to the west side being a port. The popping sound of machine gun fire filled the air, and the screeching of Neuroi echoed throughout the town. They tried to swat the witches out of the sky with lasers, but shields were deployed, and more machine gun bursts were loosed.

C platoon had reached its destination, finding itself against several Neuroi emplacements. Karlyn, who was now in her finalized Tiger I Compact strikers, turned to face the two. "This'll be a piece of cake, let's get 'em all in one blow!" The two nodded, and they broke their cover, firing at all the emplacements, which were ironically Anti-Neuroi guns, and putting them all out in less than a minute. "All in a day's work!" Fauna exclaimed. But the unexpected happened. The Neuroi began reforming, its destroyed parts forming once more.

"Wait, what?!"

* * *

><p>Next time, on Rolling Witches!<p>

Fauna: They won't die no matter how many hits!

Kanako: Wait, what's that crystal thing in it?

Karlyn: Who cares, shoot at it!


	6. Chapter 6: Hendaye (Part One)

"C platoon reporting, the Neuroi are now regenerating." Marelda squeezed the earpiece of the radio. "…Alright… Find a way to kill them then. We have to take this town today!" "Jawohl," answered Karlyn, and the channel was closed. Marelda shook her head in worry. _Why now of all times?..._

Down on the east side of Hendaye, the witches took cover behind a wall as a laser burst zoomed above them. The neuroi that they had just destroyed were now regenerating and firing back. Karlyn threw a rock into the air, and it exploded with a single blast.

Their current location was a small marketplace, with low walls around the border like the one the platoon was taking cover behind. Tall buildings stood behind the Neuroi emplacements. "Alright, we're going to re-position. Fauna, you and I are going to move to that house on the left over there. We're going to open fire, and Kanako will move back to that bush." The Liberian and the Fusojin nodded in agreement. Karlyn put up 3 fingers, and counted down until only her fist was left.

Karlyn and Fauna dashed to the little house while crouching. They went in and took positions at the windows. The AN guns were still pointed at the direction of the wall. "Open fire!" The house rocked with the power of the shots fired, hitting their targets. They continued to fire on the guns one by one, disabling them for moments, when they would simply reform and began to turn. Kanako was already running. "Move!" Karlyn shouted. They got out of the house before it was burnt down by laser fire.

On the west side of the city, near the port, B platoon was skirmishing with several neuroified Gallian light tanks that looked like they only made it to the blueprint stage. "Yebat! These things are nimble!" Elizaveta yelled, firing and immobilizing one while moving around to avoid getting hit by a laser. Lara had to keep her shield up while she fired both her witch guns. Emma was also maneuvering her way with the PzKpfstr V Ausf. G Panther tracked legs, firing her 75mm KwK 42 L/70 witch combat gun at the numerous Gallian tanks scattered about. But despite their best efforts, they could only stop them, and they'd regenerate moments later.

Down a long alley nearby, D platoon was running through to connect the two halves of the town. Blocking them was an army of neuroi tankettes, but that did not stop Odetta, who proved herself as one of Karlsland's legends, deploying her tracks and swerving around the tankettes despite the space available for her to move through. She quickly ripped them apart with the 50mm witch combat rifle, and left the other two witches in the dust. "Good lord, how does she jump over them like that?..." Sandy muttered. Verdeja shrugged, and they joined in, firing all their weapons.

Rumbling down the main road was C platoon, and Jessica was having a hard time firing at the little Neuroi tanks scrambling around her. "Sit still you bloody bugs!" She could not aim at them as they were almost literally under her, so she had to switch to her Besa, which was just as dangerous as her 75mm at close range. "This isn't looking very good…" muttered Jennifer, as she used her Cromwell tracked legs' speed to get around the enemy. Alicia also tried to push the enemy back by turning the nearby object to life, creating a large amount of chaos in the town.

"Scheisse, we're just wasting ammo here…" Johanna growled. All the fire support that E platoon had given was of no real effect. "We should wait until a weak point shows itself," suggested Marjata. Ellen nodded in agreement. "I also agree, hold your fire until ordered," Marelda said. She then picked up her radio piece. "Jessica, fall back to my point, I'm sending in Ellen." "Copy that, ma'am!" Ellen nods, and rushed forwards with her 105mm pointed to the sky.

"There must be a weak spot to these things…" Karlyn muttered. She took a look at her MG 34, and said, "Get your fifty cal ready." Fauna nodded, and checked to make sure her Browning was loaded. They both moved forward once more, and peppered the AN guns. It ripped at their armor quickly, and then something stuck out from the white innards of the alien. "KANAKO!" A cannon shot was heard from the distance, and a round destroyed the red crystal housed inside the machine. It then exploded into white dust, and the neuroi was gone.

"C platoon to all allied units. The key is a red crystal-like object inside the armor." Marelda grinned, and replied, "Danke for the information, carry on." "You heard her, comrades!" "Give 'em hell, mates!" All platoons finally started to make progress, as one by one, the neuroi succumbed to their weakness. Once Ellen arrived, she was capable of destroying a neuroi in one shot, the High Explosive shell so powerful that it's explosive power ripped through the neuroi's armor and destroyed the core in the process.

Within 30 minutes, half of Hendaye was under human control, and that's when the armor began rolling in. "Hola, senoritas! We've come to join the fight!" hollered the commander of the volunteer tank division, leading the group of small tanks in his PzKpfw IV Ausf. F2. Marelda looked at them and smiled, giving the commander a swift salute as the division rolled past. "Go get 'em, boys!" Jessica yelled, receiving a large war cry as the tanks charged with more speed.

The commander of the PzKpfw IV climbed out of his turret and stood on the cupola as the tank entered the city. His neatly combed hair and well maintained facial features shone from his standard tankers uniform. "Ah, the fresh smell of destroyed neuroi. It's refreshing, si?" he says into the intercom. "Whatever you say, Ángel," replied one of his crew. The commander grinned from ear to ear, and did not budge when the tank came to a stop next to a tank witch.

"Buen día, senorita. I am former diplomat, Lieutenant Ángel Sanz Briz, and the cavalry has arrived." Karlyn tapped the side of her striker impatiently. "It's about time you got here. Now, how many panzers do you have for us?" "Fourteen of Hispania's finest Panzer One's and Tee Twenty Sixes at your disposal, senora alemana," he replied. "Eh, more than I expected. Get them split between those flanks." "Si!"

"Operación tridente, ahora!" he ordered into his radio. The division divided into a three pronged formation and moved forwards at a walking pace, the witches following behind. Several minutes later, the Pz IV's radio breaks the silence. "Senor! This is Uno B, we've come into contact with the enemy at sector Baker Uno!" "Engage with the enemy! Show them Hispania's skill!" "Si!"

The Panzer I opens fire with its Breda Model 35, the other tanks following suit. The combined fire of the five little tanks was capable of destroying the small tankette neurois blocking their path, and the witches accompanying didn't even pull the trigger. But then one of the T-26's was caught in a laser burst, and the Orussian machine was destroyed, along with its crew. "Why are they doing this?!" Sandy exclaimed, firing a shot at one of the tankettes, hitting it dead on and at the core in one hit.

"Because they're serving their country," replied Odetta, "And giving their lives for the sake of many others." Felicia rushed forwards, and used her magic to try and fix the destroyed T-26. "Senor, senor?!" The tank was fixed, but there was no movement. Felicia pulled open the hatch, and screamed inside, "SENOR?!" A little shaking was seen, and the driver's hatch was pushed open. "Euh… Salvar... Me…" Verdeja pulled him out with teary eyes. "I-I've got you…" She used her magic on him, and he smiled at her weakly. "G… Gracias… Senorita…" He slumped into her arms, and a small puff came out of his mouth before he went still.

Felicia laid him down slowly and covered his still open eyelids. Sandy puts a hand on her shoulder, and she nods, getting up, ready to fight. The Pz I commander looked at all this, his own face wet, and said into the radio:

"Tipos Quatro is out of action."

Next time, on Rolling Witches!

Ángel: Let's take this town!

401st: Yes sir!


End file.
